uncover
/ʌnˈkʌvə
/verb [with object]
1Remove a cover or covering from: he uncovered the face of the dead man...
- The film continues its sinister loop, covering and uncovering the person or object that is buried.
- When the instrument is more than a simple tube, such as a flute with finger holes, the player can manipulate the size of the air column by covering or uncovering the finger holes.
- He sits in the dining hall covering and uncovering his ears, listening to the noise that roars like a train.
Synonyms
lay bare, bare, expose, expose to view, leave unprotected, reveal, display, put on display, put on show, exhibit;
unwrap, unveil, strip, denude
1.1 [no object] archaic Remove one’s hat, especially as a mark of respect: he stopped short, reverentially uncovered, and stood bare-headed till the line of mourners had passed...
- I saw him stand uncovered in the bitter air, with a reverence for something.
2Discover (something previously secret or unknown): further evidence has been uncovered...
- They soon realise that, if they are to survive, they will have to uncover the secret that has brought them all together.
- Throwing them aside, I soon uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar.
- The journalists said they were particularly alarmed by the number of chat room paedophiles their research uncovered in such a short period.
Synonyms
detect, discover, come across, stumble on/across, chance on, hit on, encounter, find, find out, turn up, unearth, dig up, dredge up, root out, hunt out, nose out, ferret out, grub out, disinter, extricate;
expose, bring to light, bring into the open, unmask, unveil, reveal, lay bare, make known, make public, divulge, disclose, betray, give away, smoke out
informal blow the whistle on, pull the plug on, spill the beans on, let the cat out of the bag, nail
rare uncloak
- free-standing
- Free State
- Free Stater
- free stock
- freestone
- freestone mason
- free stream
- free streaming
- free stuff
- freestyle
- freestyler
- free suitor
- free-swimming
- freetail
- free-tailed
- free-tailed bat
- free television
- free text
- freethinker
- freethinking
- free-thought
- free throw
- free-throw circle
- free-throw lane
- free-to-air